IBEROSTAR Selection Paraiso Lindo

We loved it so much! Amazing staff and the flexibility is great. You can message them and join anytime. We loved it!

We visited Iberostar in early August and the weather was absolutely spectacular. It only rained once during the early morning hours; the rest of the days were beautifully sunny with clear blue skies and an average temperature of 35 °C. It started getting cloudy at the end of our holiday.

The Beach and the "Rocky" Rumors: Overall, the beach was in excellent condition. I know social media currently shows a lot of images regarding sargassum, but the hotel's beachfront was remarkably clean. There was a minimal amount in the water, but it was negligible (you can check out on YouTube at @travelovich). I previously read a review claiming the entire beach was covered in rocks, which is simply not true. Out of the resort's entire extensive beachfront, only a tiny section on the Mar/Beach side has a few rocks; the rest is pure, soft sand. Spreading misinformation not only hurts the hotel but also unfairly affects the staff. The employees are the true heart of this resort and are the reason why this is one of the absolute best resorts in the Mayan Riviera.

Front Desk & Check-In: We always try to arrive during off-peak hours so our check-in process was seamless and completed within minutes allowing us to start enjoying the facilities right away. (As a tip for fellow travelers: if you arrive during peak hours at any hotel worldwide expect a bit of a wait). The front desk team is wonderfully helpful and always strives to accommodate guests. I would like to give a special shoutout to Elizabeth, who always assisted me with breaking larger bills for tipping with a warm smile and without hesitation.

Rooms and Housekeeping: The guest rooms are very spacious, featuring two double beds, plenty of closet space, and drawers—perfectly sized to comfortably accommodate the belongings of up to four guests. The housekeeping team did a phenomenal job keeping our room immaculate. A very convenient feature is that you receive a notification through the resort's app as soon as your room has been cleaned. Additionally, the balcony was much larger than what you typically find at standard resorts and included a built-in drying rack, which was incredibly useful for hanging up swimwear.

Resort Cleanliness, Maintenance and Grounds: The overall cleanliness of the entire resort is absolutely outstanding; every corner of the property is kept in pristine, spotless condition. The maintenance crew works tirelessly to ensure everything functions perfectly and their hard work truly shows. Furthermore, the landscaping is stunning. The gardens are remarkably beautiful, lush, and always perfectly immaculate and pruned. Walking through the resort grounds is an absolute pleasure.

Pool: The swimming pools were fantastic, very well-maintained, and the water temperature was absolutely perfect. Over at the Lindo pool, there is a great wave pool that activates every half hour, with the final session starting at 5:00 PM and lasting for about 10 to 15 minutes. A really nice touch is that during lunchtime, they occasionally host a poolside cookout serving things like tacos, paella, or hamburgers right by the pool. We want to give a special shoutout to Jonathan, the pool concierge at the members' pool, who was incredibly helpful, attentive, and friendly throughout our stay!

Bars: The bars offer a fantastic variety of beverages, including beers (DOS EQUIS, Tecate, Indio, Heineken), premium liquors and the house Prosecco. During this trip the white wine options available at the bars were Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay. The entire bar staff is exceptionally attentive and friendly. A huge thank you to our wonderful bartenders: Alejandro N, Santiago, Alejandro, Cristóbal, Vianey, Benito. An honorable mention goes to Carolina: she is a true artist behind the bar, super professional, and kind. There were days when she covered the lunch shift at the members' pool phenomenally, and her performance was flawless. We truly hope management recognizes her great talent and grants her a well-deserved promotion very soon!

Dining Experiences: Buffet Restaurants: They offer a spectacular and highly varied culinary feast designed to accommodate any type of diet or preference. The food is always presented fresh, with flawless plating and a truly delicious taste. The omelet station and the fresh smoothie area are definitely the best spots in the restaurant to start the day with high energy.

A la Carte Restaurants: The dining options are outstanding and paired with top-tier service. The entire waitstaff and hostess team are always incredibly welcoming, and every dish is beautifully presented and absolutely delicious (with some exceptions*).

El Rancho (Reservation Required): This remains the top favorite for many guests for very good reasons. If you are a member (and staying at Lindo, Maya or JOIA) having breakfast there is an exclusive delight. The dinners are a must-try for steak lovers: the cuts are prepared to perfection earning a 10/10 rating and the service makes you feel right at home thanks to a highly attentive staff. A huge thank you to Johnny and Erick for providing such outstanding service!. Also a big thank you to Miguel at the breakfast for outstanding service and being very professional.

El Museo: We decided to give it a second chance after a less-than-pleasant experience during a past vacation and we came out absolutely amazed! This time everything worked perfectly: the wait times were extremely short the service was agile and dynamic and the dishes were exquisite. We will definitely return to this restaurant next time!

French and Japanese (the exceptions*)(Reservation Required): Both restaurants offer very intimate and exclusive atmospheres. To be fair we did notice a bit of disorganization in the service logistics at both venues. At the French restaurant despite only 7 out of the 14 prepared tables being occupied the dishes took a while to come out and we feel the kitchen has a good opportunity to improve its flavors. At the Japanese restaurant we also experienced delays and there was quite a line of guests waiting to get in which created a bit of tension at first. Fortunately, the food at the Japanese restaurant was delicious and exceeded expectations successfully saving the evening in a very positive way. Overall the restaurants are very good.

Water Park: Unlimited Fun for the Family This area is a fantastic and exclusive benefit for guests staying at Lindo, Maya and JOIA. There are water slides, a super relaxing lazy river to float along, and a kids' area perfectly designed and safe for the little ones. There is a beverage station located right inside the water park. To immortalize the best moments, professional photographers are on-site to take beautiful family photos (for an additional fee). If you are staying at the other hotels and want to enjoy the water park you can get a day pass at extra cost.

The Paraiso Complex and Full Access For first-time travelers it is great to understand how this mega-resort of 5 hotels is structured: 5. JOIA 4. Maya 3. Lindo 2. Beach

1. Mar

Guests staying at hotels with higher numbers can fully enjoy all the facilities of the lower-numbered hotels (for example, JOIA, being number 5 has absolute access to the entire complex).

The Mall: A spectacular shopping center right inside the hotel that has it all. It is ideal for a stroll to find beautiful Mexican handicrafts, quality beach items, fine jewelry, clothing, and ATMs dispensing both US dollars and Mexican pesos. As fabulous perks, it features a delicious ice cream and crepe shop (totally free!), a beautiful carousel that kids enjoy, a lovely church, and the Spa.

The Spa: A authentic gem of relaxation with a premium menu of services that includes manicures, pedicures, and a wide range of professional massages, from relaxing to deep tissue. A huge benefit is that when you book any massage, you get access to their spectacular hydrotherapy areas to relax before or after your treatment. The entire spa staff is incredibly kind and helpful; I had a minor issue with my reservation that was not my fault and they resolved it immediately with admirable courtesy and a smile.

The Gym: An excellent and highly complete space to keep up with your fitness routine during vacation, packed with modern treadmills, ellipticals, and a wide variety of weight machines. On the second level they offer a magnificent program of guided classes like kickboxing and spinning in their studios. As a constructive suggestion that I already left during my previous visit: it would be fantastic if they added more professional spinning stationary bikes, as there is currently only one (and it will need maintenance soon). They have 4 more bikes, but they are the ones with large seats for conventional cardio, which are quite uncomfortable for high-intensity workouts. If you like running outside I recommend going early in the morning (6am) since it gets very warm once the sun is out!

Starcamp: A Paradise for Kids and Peace of Mind for Parents The kids' club (startcamp) is simply extraordinary. It is open from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM every day and welcomes children and teens from ages 4 to 17, carefully dividing them into age groups so the dynamics are perfect for them. The entertainment team hosts fantastic activities inside Starcamp's great facilities, as well as in the pool, beach, and theater areas; though if a child prefers to stay inside the club to play also it is possible. The schedule includes plenty of great, fun, and free activities throughout the day. They also offer fantastic premium experiences at a very accessible extra cost of 400 MXN per child, such as pijama parties or an exciting pirate party. On the day of the fire show, they organize an awesome bonfire (free) right outside Starcamp, where the kids watch an outdoor movie while roasting marshmallows over the fire. It is a completely trustworthy service: kids can stay all day and even eat with the club staff in a super safe environment. Parents cannot leave the hotel property when leaving their kids at the starcamp, but it is the perfect service if you want to enjoy a spa massage or relax as a couple on the beach, knowing your children are happy and extremely well-cared for. (If you need to leave the hotel, the resort offers an excellent private babysitting service).

Entertainment and Animation: They design dynamic and highly entertaining activities for the whole family every day, roughly from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. These take place in different areas of the resort, making it super easy to track them by checking the mobile app or the interactive touchscreens placed in the lobbies and restaurants. They have everything: beach stretching, water volleyball and water basketball, beach volleyball, massive pool games, ping-pong, incredible pool parties, and super entertaining lobby games like Mexican lotería, guessing games, trivia and more. It is impossible to get bored!

Nightly Shows: Every night, the theater dresses up for magnificent and highly professional spectacles, and the breathtaking fire show on the beach is a true work of art. (We did not witness the fire show at the pool during this vacation; we don't know if it was due to low seasonal occupancy or if it is no longer being held by the pool). It is important to note that the theater on the Mar and Beach side is currently closed for a total renovation. Because of this the shows at the active theater (Lindo - Maya) gets packed and the bar gets very busy, resulting in lines to order drinks. We had never seen so many people waiting to get a drink at the show bar before, but it is completely understandable given the remodeling.

A massive thank you to the incredible staff members who went above and beyond to make our stay so memorable: Michelle - hostess Valeria - hostess Fatima - hostess Felipe - waiter manager Manuel - waiter manager Miguel - waiter Didier - waiter Isaias - waiter Mauricio- waiter Benjamin - waiter Daniel - waiter Casandra - waitress Macario - bellboy Luis - Bellboy Ninive - spa Nayeli - spa Dalia - spa juice station Perla - starcamp Omar - starcamp Mariana - starcamp Ana - starcamp Denise - starcamp Brandon - starcamp Samir - starcamp Lizette - starcamp Mirian - starcamp Mariana - starcamp Paulina - starcamp Miguel - Entertainment Antonio - Entertainment

Suggestions for Management: While our stay was wonderful, we would love to share a few constructive suggestions to help make the guest experience even better:

1.- Members' Pool Remodeling: Since there are rumors about upcoming renovations for the members' pool, we highly recommend moving the pool bar to the island in the center where the lush vegetation. This would provide natural shade. Right now after midday the sun beats directly down on the backs of everyone sitting at the pool bar. Alternatively, please consider significantly expanding the current awning, as it currently offers almost no coverage.

2.- Upper Level Pool Bar (Members' Pool): This is the second year in a row that we noticed the bar on the upper level (where the tables are) has remained closed. It would be amazing to reopen this space as a lunch food station. Having a chef prepare quick poolside options like tacos, quesadillas, or hamburgers would be a fantastic addition for guests.

3.- Members' Pool Signage: As mentioned during our stay last year, the signage around the members' pool area remains unclear. It is highly necessary to put up visible signs indicating that this area is exclusive to members. It becomes incredibly uncomfortable for everyone involved when other resort guests sit down and staff have to explain that they cannot order drinks at this specific bar.

4.- Resort App Glitches: The Iberostar app needs serious technical improvements. Even though I was logged in with my personal credentials, several menu options failed to load, and I couldn't see the activity schedule or my current reservations—options that were appearing perfectly fine on other guests' phones. Additionally, it repeatedly triggered error messages claiming I was logged in elsewhere and needed to close other sessions, despite only using a single device.

A wonderful resort that always makes you want to return thanks to its magnificent facilities and above all the excellence of its great staff! 100% recommended.

MUCHAS GRACIAS!